Ninja Fairytale
by Z. Alexander
Summary: At twelve, they were declared adults and given little plates of metal attached to strips of cloth. And now, they'll have to learn the hard way that 'happily ever after' doesn't apply to people like them.


Oh gods...I can't believe I'm doing this. No, I'm _not _starting a new chaptered story. But I just can't believe I'm _posting _this. I brought an old notebook with me on my trip, and I found this in it. I have no idea how long ago I wrote this, but I know it was _long _before I learned that fanfiction was actually something lots of people wrote, and there was even a website for it. Anyway, I dithered for a bit, but then I figured if no one liked it, oh well. It's just an opinion, anyway.

This is from Kakashi's point of view, and just in case it isn't clear, it's set just before Sasuke leaves, and after Naruto brings Tsunade back with Jiraiya.

Disclaimer: Well, though I think the name of the site should make it clear, I'll tell you I have never, and never will, owned anything connected to the manga or its characters. (And if I did, I certainly wouldn't be writing fanfiction about it.)

* * *

_And they all lived happily ever after_

Is a phrase he sometimes secretly wishes he could use, but since when do fairytales have anything to do with real life? No, Kakashi can't use that phrase. Not now, not ever.

Is it unfair? Maybe. They never got normal lives, but _'it really was their choice.' _At six, they chose to enter the Academy and learn all about their futures. At eight, they were learning about human anatomy and by nine, they could rattle off ten ways to off someone without being seen.

At eleven, they had forgotten how to play like normal kids…or at least, they'd forgotten that normal kids played hide and seek and call it _ninja, _while the Academy kids played ninja and called it _training. _It would have been cute, maybe…but it wasn't just pretense. At eleven, they were practicing skills which could very well save their lives.

At twelve, they were declared adults and given little plates of metal attached to strips of cloth, separated into groups, and assigned a mentor who would become more important than their parents. Their cell became their family…for better, or for worse.

It's worse, but he's not surprised. They are _team seven, _which almost seems to be cursed. Unlucky number seven, maybe.

He looks at the kids he didn't want to teach and immediately wishes he hadn't. These kids will do big things, if they get the right kind of help. But there's only so much one man can _do, _and he _knows_ he's not capable of giving them _all_ the attention they _need._

He's fully aware that exclusively training Sasuke was looked upon as _favoritism, _but the truthof the matter is that if he _hadn't, _Sasuke would have died. Besides; out of the three, he can relate to Sasuke the best. (And that _isn't _a good thing.) He knows that Sasuke is too screwed up in the head to _understand _things like _friendship _and _teamwork, _and he knows this because he was the same way. He doesn't want Sasuke to learn the same way _Kakashi _had to – watching the best friend he didn't have (but should've wanted) give his life for the people he loves.

(Because Naruto is too much like Obito for comfort. He physically _hurts. _He thinks like Kakashi's hero, looks like Kakashi's sensei, and fights like the woman he'd wished was his mother; he can't look and he can't stop looking. The Hokage knew what he was doing, and even though he's just died, Kakashi still hates him for it.)

And Sakura, sweet little Sakura with the pink hair and the red dress, is getting the short end of the deal. She isn't crazed like Sasuke, and she doesn't have Naruto's drive. She doesn't have Naruto's stamina, and she doesn't have Sasuke's early training. Sakura is decidedly average, and being forced onto a team with the two most promising genin makes her look worse.

Even so…she's the best one for the job. If she can survive their first (deliberate) A-ranked mission, of course.

Naruto chases Sakura, who chases Sasuke, who chases his brother, who chases Naruto. One would think that cell seven would figure out that they could all have what they want (and need, really) if they worked together; but no matter what he does, Kakashi can't get that through Sasuke's head, and Sakura is too in love with Sasuke to do anything without him. Anyone else might say to give it time.

Unfortunately, time is something none of them have. Even if they were a normal team (which isn't really possible, since they're _team seven, _but _still), _they're ninja. So…

_And they all lived happily ever after _is something he can't say. Not now, not ever.

But maybe, just maybe, if he can manage it, they can end with an

_And they all experienced happiness and made it to thirty-five._

**THE END**


End file.
